Name that lens

[bob_bill]

<p>Do you name your lenses? If not, any names you might want to use? How about possible customization, like flames on the hood (lens)? I call my workhorse, Clydesdale-like 70-200, "Bud." Sometimes its like carrying a Clydesdale all day but it produces some of my most powerful images. I swear, no alcohol was involved in this post, just caffeine. </p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I certainly do name them. My Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens, for example, I call my "Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM" lens, or 24-105mm, for short. :)<br>

Actually, the only 'nickname' I use is for the "nifty fifty," otherwise known as the "plastic fantastic" EF 50mm f/1.8.</p>

[sarah_fox]

<p>Hmmmm.... Must be a guy thing!</p>

<p>Ever notice how the telephotos are the ones that get the nicknames (e.g. "Bigma and Sigmonster")?</p>

[DickArnold]

Anthropopathy.

Assigning life-like attributes to inanimate objects. I learned thousands of hours ago that talking to airplanes didn't do a damn thing for aircraft performance. I use the same naming convention the JDM uses.

[photojen]

<p>I call my macro my 'Bug Baby'...that's it, I haven't got completely acquainted with my new lenses to give them a nickname yet, I suppose it's a 'guy thing', but on a different level.</p>

[tjfuss]

<p>Not too creative here, I just use "the zoom", "the 50", "the macro", "the fisheye" and so on.</p>

<p>Too many lenses have passed through my grasp to each earn names.</p>

[bobcossar]

<p>You should hear the names I call my computer! </p>

[leicaglow]

<p>No, but I named my last car, "Uncle Buck" for obvious reasons.</p>

[tom_harvey3]

<p>I call any of Canon's white L-series lenses the "Great Whites".</p>

[kfoster70]

<p>I call my 300mm f/2.8 AFS II that I got for a steal "my precious". I know thats not real original, but it fits.</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>No but I easily could. My favorite manual prime Nikkor for DSLR use, (35/F2), has been to hundreds of weddings. This lens has literally looked into thousands of smiling faces. Of course one has to wonder how many of them are still smiling?</p>

[jim_j2]

<p><em>"Only when it don't produce the image I had envisioned!"</em><br>

And those "names" are not appropriate here!</p>

[scott_ferris]

<p>"I learned thousands of hours ago that talking to airplanes didn't do a damn thing for aircraft performance."</p>

<p>Dick, that is an attitude very few engineers would take. Whilst naming things is not compulsory, talking to them to get the best 10% is almost universally accepted, I have never met a good engineer who does not connect with their equipment. Proven to work with flowers, cars and boats, not an airplane guy myself but I'd be surprised if they were different. Now you can't just shout at it when it doesn't work, that is not talking! But build a rapport with it prior to that and it will tell you what is wrong.</p>

<p>I don't have names for any of my camera gear though.</p>

[James G. Dainis]

Betty, Lisa, Sophie, Madge and Irene. I got rid of Carol when her diaphragm broke.

[jaydesi]

<p>I only have one lens named, and it's more of a description than a proper name...my 70-200 f/2.8 IS is my "cannon". I'm not sure if I call it that because it has the longest length of my lenses or because of its weight, haha.</p>

[astral]

<p>My recently acquired Kiev 4a is "Gorby" - quite solid, likeable and performs well - while the Jupiter 8M 50mm f2 is "Yeltsin" - it has a rather quirky character with some strange behaviour at times. I can't think of a name for my sharp, likeable, dependable Jupiter 12 (35mm f2.8) . . .</p>

[DickArnold]

Scott. Are you old enough to remember the WWII movie where Van Johnson piloting a crippled B17 was heading directly for the White Cliffs of Dover pleading with his struggling airplane "come baby we can make it. I learned in my Aero class that while Van made it there are several black scars staining the white cliffs that proves this forrm of pleading doesn't work. But beyond that I learned in my own experience actually flying airplanes and investigating aircraft accidents that the laws of physics prevail. Having said that I loved it in the movie when at the last minute the B17 heard Van and in one last crippled gasp heaved itself over the cilff bringing Van home ot fight another day. I still love it when the good guy wins. So if you want to name your lens and talk to it hoping anthopopathy will win by giving you better pictures go for it just don't try to top a cliff with your struggling airplane.

[JDMvW]

<p>Not of course, to be confused with <em>anthropophagy</em>.</p>

<p>In our department of anthropology, we had an excellent secretary who for at least the first year she worked for us would answer the phone: "Anthropophagy Department"</p>

<p>We said nothing and to this day do not know if she was yanking our chain or not. If it were an honest mistake, we wouldn't embarrass her, and if she was having us on, we wouldn't give her the satisfaction.:)</p>

[DickArnold]

I knew someone would catch my spelling mistake.